Details of Sculptor

Surname

Biggs

Alternative Surname

First Name

William, of Bath

Initial of Surname

B

Year of Birth/Baptism

Flourished

1730-44

Year of Death

Biographical Details

William Biggs became free of the Masons’ Company by redemption on 23 March 1730. He was employed on the new buildings of St Bartholomew’s Hospital between 1731 and 1739, executing most of the carved stonework and three chimneypieces for the ‘Great Room’, for which he received £68 in 1734 (Hospital Archives, cited by Gunnis 1968, 52) (3, 2). On 26 March 1741 he was engaged by John Wood to build the Bristol Exchange. Biggs was then living at Monkton Combe, near Bath, and he gave Ralph Allen, the postal reformer and philanthropist, as security. His estimate for the freestone walls was almost £1,000 less than those submitted by the other masons, including Thomas and James Paty. He was employed on freestone work for the building almost continuously between May 1741 and September 1744. This included mouldings, columns, pilasters, capitals, balustrades, a pediment, windows and cornices. He did not give total satisfaction and on 4 September 1741 he was ‘summon’d to attend the Committee’ and ‘Mr. Wood told him great Complaints were made of his work & admonished him to keep strictly to his Contract’. On 11 September he signed the minute ordering him to pull down the work ‘not done according to the Contract’ and rebuild it (BRO Exchange Minute Book, M/BCC/XCM/1, unpag).
Biggs described himself as ‘citizen and mason of London’ on the tomb he erected to two of his children in Monkton Combe churchyard (Church Rambler, vol I, 105, cited by Gunnis 1968, 52) (1). Benjamin Biggs, the mason responsible for building Bath Guildhall between 1760 and l770, was another member of the family.
Literary References: Gunnis 1968, 52
Archival References: Masons’ Co, Freemen, fol 6 (23 March 1730)